This lively excursion through the back alleys and neglected corners of the world’s most romantic city is written by a long-time resident whose enthusiasm makes her an ideal guide. The reader is introduced to the doomed lovers Heloise and Abelard; Saint Denis, whose ghost is said to walk the earth carrying his severed head in his hand; and Mary Tudor, who only agreed to marry the king on the condition that she could then marry her lover in the event of his death. We encounter venerable old buildings like the Cathedral of Notre Dame and the Hotel de Sens, a mass of towers and turrets that resembles a French Hogwarts. McAuliffe clearly relishes the lesser-known chapters of Parisian history, and even longtime Francophiles will find much to learn here.